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Storylines to watch at Chicago Bears mandatory minicamp

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland works on the field during the NFL football team's practice Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Lake Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

The calendar has turned to June and it’s time for the Chicago Bears to enter the final portion of their offseason workouts. The team will hold three straight days of practice during their mandatory minicamp at Halas Hall starting Tuesday.

It will likely will be the first time the entire Bears roster will be together for a practice this offseason because they are mandatory. Though that hasn’t seemed to be a problem this offseason as most of the players have taken part in head coach Ben Johnson’s second offseason with the team.

Although conclusions won’t be made from these three practices with no live tackling, fans can learn some things before the Bears break for the summer. There will be some position battles to watch. And of course, quarterback Caleb Williams will always have the spotlight.

Here are a few storylines to watch at minicamp this week.

Who’s starting on the offensive line?

The offensive line will have two position battles to watch during minicamp and training camp: left tackle and center.

Chicago will look for a starting left tackle for a second straight offseason as Ozzy Trapilo is expected to miss most if not all of this season as he recovers from a patellar tendon injury. Braxton Jones, Kiran Amgadjie, Theo Benedet and Jedrick Wills Jr. are all competing for the spot. Jones is expected to get a head start since he previously started on the spot and has battled injuries since Johnson and his staff came to town.

The Bears will also have a competition at center after the sudden retirement of Drew Dalman this offseason. Garrett Bradbury is expected to start at the spot as a veteran. But Johnson previously said second-round draft pick Logan Jones can compete for the spot and force the staff’s hand.

Since there won’t be live hitting, coaches won’t truly get a chance to watch what each lineman can do. But minicamp will offer a glimpse into how coaches think each player stacks up.

How’s the defensive line stacking up?

The biggest question surrounding the Bears heading into the offseason was what they’ll do to boost their pass rush. After only making minor changes to the defensive line, we’ll start to get a chance to see how the Bears plan to improve it internally.

Just like the offensive line, it’s going to be hard to learn too much without live hitting. But it will be interesting to see how last year’s starters look through drills and whether the newcomers seem like they can boost the group. Bears coaches took accountability for the lack of production last season and said they’ve been focusing more on the fundamentals and technique during workouts.

It will also be interesting to see if the Bears linemen returning from injuries will also take part in practices before the summer break. Dayo Odeyingbo is recovering from a torn Achilles tendon midway through the season and appeared at Organized Team Activities last week. Meanwhile, Shemar Turner is recovering from a torn ACL he also suffered midway.

Both missed offseason workouts and could not make their return until the team meets for training camp in July.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, right, greets running back Kyle Monangai during the NFL football team's practice Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Lake Forest, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Caleb Williams’ control of the offense

Last year’s offseason focus surrounding Williams was how he looked handling Johnson’s offense. All eyes will be on Williams once again, but this time it’s how much he’s mastered the offense compared to the end of last season.

Williams looked more comfortable in the offense as the season progressed last year. He’s flashed that comfort in the offense at times during OTA practices that have been open to reporters. There have been moments where Williams has corrected mistakes instead of having Johnson do it.

It will also be interesting to watch whether there will be a better connection between Williams and his targets. There were plenty of times when receivers dropped passes last season and derailed drives. Williams and his targets have spent time working together over the offseason to get on the same page.

He’ll also need to get into a good rapport with some new targets. Bears general manager Ryan Poles added wide receivers Kalif Raymond and Zavion Thomas and tight end Sam Roush this offseason. So far, Bears coaches have liked what they’ve seen.

New-look secondary

There’s wasn’t a group on the Bears roster that went through a bigger turnover than the secondary. Poles made changes throughout the unit.

He replaced three of the team’s regular contributors at safety, choosing not to re-sign starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. Poles signed Coby Bryant and Cam Lewis in free agency and drafted Dillon Thieneman in the first round of the draft. Elijah Hicks also came back during free agency.

The cornerback room also changed, even if not at the same level. Poles decided not to bring back Nahshon Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson and drafted Malik Muhammad in the fourth round.

Who gets snaps with the first team will be interesting to watch at both positions. Thieneman ran with the second and first teams during OTAs while Tyrique Stevenson held on to his starting spot at cornerback opposite of Jaylon Johnson. The Bears could mix up those orders over the next three days.

Michal Dwojak

Michal Dwojak

Michal covers the Chicago Bears for Shaw Local and also serves as the company's sports enterprise reporter. He previously covered the CCL/ESCC for Friday Night Drive and other prep sports for the Northwest Herald. Michal previously served as the sports editor for the Glenview Lantern, Northbook Tower and Malibu Surfside News.